1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low-insertion force connector in which a force to provisionally retain a slider, provided for fitting male and female connectors together with a low operating force, is increased so as to prevent the slider from being accidentally pushed into a connector housing.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-220778, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 shows a conventional low-insertion force connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 61-203581.
This low-insertion force connector 51 comprises a male connector housing 52, a female connector housing 53, and a slider 54, these parts being made of a synthetic resin. Follower projections 55 are formed on the male connector housing 52, and guide grooves 56 for respectively guiding the follower projections 55 are formed in the female connector housing 53, and extend in a connector fitting direction. Slanting guide holes 57 for respectively receiving the follower projections 55 are formed in the slider 54. When the slider 54 is pushed or inserted into the female connector housing, the follower projections 55 are guided or moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes 57 and also along the respective guide grooves 56, so that the two connector housings 52 and 53 are fitted together.
Actually, female terminals (not shown), each connected to a wire, are received in the male connector housing 52, and male terminals (not shown), each connected to a wire, are received in the female connector housing 53, and tab-like contact portions of the male terminals (not shown) project into a connector fitting chamber 58 in the female connector housing 53. The male connector housing 52 and the associated terminals jointly form a male connector while the female connector housing 53 and the associated terminals jointly form a female connector. A large force is required for fitting many male and female terminals together, and therefore the guide holes 57 have a length larger than the connector-fitting distance, and with this construction the low insertion force design of the connector is achieved.
The slider 54 is inserted into the connector fitting chamber 58. A provisionally-retaining arm 59 and a completely-retaining arm 60 for the slider 54 are provided on the female connector housing 53, and extend in a slider inserting direction. The provisionally-retaining arm 59 has an abutment projection for engagement with a step portion 61 of the slider 54, and the completely-retaining arm 60 has an engagement recess for engagement with a projection 62 of the slider 54.
The slider 54 is initially inserted into the connector fitting chamber 58 while flexing (elastically deforming) the provisionally-retaining arm 59, and the projection of the provisionally-retaining arm 59 is engaged with the step portion 61 of the slider 54, thereby preventing the rearward withdrawal of the slider 54. In this condition, the male connector housing 52 is initially fitted into the connector fitting chamber 58. In this condition, the male terminals (not shown) are not yet fitted in the female terminals (not shown), respectively. When the slider 54 is further inserted, the follower projections 55 are moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes 57 as described above, and the two connector housings 52 and 53 are fitted together, so that the male terminals are connected to the female terminals, respectively. When the slider 54 is completely inserted into the female connector housing, the projection 62 is engaged with the completely-retaining arm 60, thereby preventing the rearward withdrawal of the slider 54.
In the above conventional construction, for example, the slider 54 is attached in an initially-inserted condition to the female connector housing 53 while the male connector housing 52 is not connected to the female connector housing 53, and during the transport of the connector in this condition (for example, in the form of a wire harness assembly), the slider 54 can be easily pushed or inserted into the completely-retained condition upon slight interference with an external object. As a result, when the male connector housing 52 is to be fitted into the female connector housing 53 in a vehicle-assembling process, the slider 54 must be returned to the initially-inserted condition, and therefore extra time and labor are required, thus lowering the efficiency of the operation. And besides, if the operator is not sufficiently skilled, there is a possibility that the completely-retained condition of the slider can not be canceled, or the slider may not be sufficiently returned, and as a result the two connectors can not be properly fitted together.
FIGS. 13A, 13B, 14A and 14B show another conventional low-insertion force connector disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-215827.
This low-insertion force connector 65 comprises a male connector housing 66, a female connector housing 67, and a slider 68. The male connector housing 66 has follower projections 69, and the slider 68 has slanting guide holes 70 for respectively receiving the follower projections 69, and also has retaining arms 71 which extend in a connector fitting direction so as to retain the male connector housing 66. Engagement holes 73 for engagement respectively with retaining projections 72 of the retaining arms 71 are formed in the male connector housing 66. Provisionally-retaining recesses 75 for engagement respectively with the distal ends of the retaining arms 71 are formed respectively in flanges 74 formed at a peripheral edge portion of an opening in the female connector housing 67.
In a condition shown in FIG. 13, the distal ends of the retaining arms 71 are engaged respectively in the recesses 75, thereby provisionally retaining the slider 68 relative to the female connector housing 67. When the male connector housing 66 is initially fitted into the female connector housing 67, the follower projections 69 are engaged respectively in inlet portions of the guide holes 70, and also the engagement projections 72 of the retaining arms 71 are pressed by the male connector housing 66, and therefore the retaining arms 71 are flexed outwardly, so that the provisionally-retained condition is canceled.
In this condition, when the slider is pushed into the female connector housing as indicated by arrow A (FIG. 14B), the follower projections 69 are moved in the connector fitting direction along the respective guide holes 70, so that the two connectors (each having associated terminals (not shown) each connected to a wire) are completely fitted together. Simultaneously when the two connectors are thus completely fitted together, the projections 72 of the retaining arms 71 are engaged in the engagement holes 73, respectively, so that the male connector housing 66 is locked against withdrawal, and also the slider 68 is completely retained.
In the above conventional construction, however, although there is provided the means for provisionally retaining the slider 68, the provisionally-retained condition is achieved by the engagement of the distal end of each retaining arm 71 in the recess 75 in the flange 74 of the female connector housing 67, and therefore the provisionally-retaining force is small. Therefore, there has been a possibility that the slider 68 is accidentally pushed into and withdrawn from the female connector housing upon interference with an external object during the transport of the connector as described above for the first-mentioned conventional construction.